Don Barton: DeVos brings a much-needed shakeup to public education

Re “DeVos centers on choices without info to make them” (Page 5A, Feb. 8): Regarding Nan Austin’s hit piece on Betsy DeVos, I wonder if Austin is satisfied with the sorry state of public education in America and, in particularly, California? Consider these discouraging Department of Education statistics: 21 pecent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th-grade level. According to a Pew Research study, the U.S. ranks 35th for math proficiency among 15 year olds. Colleges report that from 28-60 percent of all incoming freshmen need at least one remedial course.

Much has been made of the fact that DeVos is the first cabinet-level secretary who required a tie-breaking vote by the Vice President to be confirmed, as if this de-legitimizes her appointment. But the reason lawmakers’ phones were jammed in advance of the vote has less to do with DeVos’ qualifications and more to do with the existential threat that teachers’ unions perceive by someone who favors vouchers for kids attending private schools. America’s education system is failing our kids – and we’ve been pursuing essentially the same failed course since the end of World War II. It’s high time the status quo feels threatened. There is nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Don Barton: DeVos brings a much-needed shakeup to public education."